ECP concludes probe into NA-68 rigging allegations

ISLAMABAD- The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today concluded its probe into allegations that polling for NA-68, Sargodha had been rigged. According to the probe, on a polling station number for the constituency, Nawaz Sharif secured 779 out of the total 1500 votes polled but these were written as 7,879. A private news channel quoting sources reported that the probe suggested a huge difference between the results given by the returning and presiding officers. The ECP has said that the differences in the numbers of votes was due to a typing mistake. Additional Secretary ECP Syed Sher Afghan said the difference in figures was due to the typist's mistake, adding that the ECP did not need to call a meeting in this case. No more than the total number of registered votes were polled, he further add that no further probe was needed to be held in the matter. The election commission will further probe as to whether the difference in the number of votes was the result of a mistake or deliberately done. The matter will be taken up at a meeting of the ECP on Thursday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had alleged rigging in NA-68, a seat won by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the May 11, 2013 general elections and retained by his party in the by-elections held on Aug 22 last year. Imran Khan had alleged that over 100 per cent votes were polled at polling station number 246 in NA-68 constituency. He claimed that over 8,000 votes were polled while the number of registered voters was around 1,500. Nawaz Sharif won the 2013 polls from NA-68 with a huge margin. He secured 140,546 votes while his closest rival Noor Hayat Kalyar of PTI could bag only 45,463 votes followed by Syed Nusrat Ali Shah of the PPP who secured 21,395 votes. Former secretary ECP Kanwar Dilshad said election results were tampered with, adding that rigging was made possible through collusion with the presiding and returning officers. Dilshad added that if any more of Imran Khan's allegations turned out to be true, questions would be raised over the validity of the parliament.